


Flowers

by Providence26



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 11:49:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13523652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Providence26/pseuds/Providence26
Summary: A/N - these were a couple of trial runs for the Flower prompt for the Cabenson fanfic challenge, I ultimately went with a different story (but similar premise), but thought I would post them here anyway, rather than deleting them.





	Flowers

**To impress or atone**

It had been three days since Olivia Benson’s 43rd birthday, and her fellow detectives at the 1-6 were all seated in uncomfortable silence completing paperwork. They were starting to worry about Olivia’s mood. She had been fine turning 40, and with each year she seemed to settle within herself, she had started to be more comfortable within herself.  
The more observant of them had noticed that the re-appearance of Alex Cabot had coincided with her feeling more settled and her departure nine months earlier had caused a familiar melancholy to settle back over her.  
None dared ask about Alex, how she was getting on or even if they still kept in touch. The suspicions each held over the pair’s closeness was unspoken and off limits. Even after several drinks at Olivia’s birthday do Alex’s name remained unspoken.  
Elliott was desperate to bring up the subject; his desire to help Olivia was strong enough that he would overlook his discomfort over talking about her feelings for Alex. He just knew that she would shut him out completely. It was better to let Liv set the pace.  
The silence had become oppressive, just the sounds of pages being turned, and pens scratching against paper. It was almost to the point where they were hoping for a call to release them, but they knew better than to wish for such atrocities to occur just to release them from a prison of discomfort.  
Just after 3pm a delivery guy brought in several of the largest bouquets they had ever seen. The cost would have been immense. Someone was definitely either trying to impress or atone.  
“I have a delivery for Olivia Benson.”  
“That’s me.”  
After the flowers had been placed down on any available surface and the note passed onto Olivia, the fading smile on her face told them it was an act of atonement.  
This didn’t bode well for the sender.  
Refolding the letter back up and slamming it away in her drawer she asked if anyone wanted some flowers to take home to their wives or girlfriends.  
Chancing a glance at each other the male detectives in the squad had a silent conversation agreeing to keep as quiet as possible and not ask questions.  
The incessant rhythmic tapping of Olivia’s pen against her desk was being deliberately ignored, despite the dwindling patience and sanity of her squad members.  
Getting up from her desk abruptly, Olivia told them she was going to the roof for some air. Letting out a collective sigh of relief they just watched her go.  
Wavering for only a couple of seconds, Elliott got up and retrieved the letter.  
“Hey man, I don’t think you should be doing that.” Fin interjected.  
“What else am I supposed to do? She won’t tell me anything and she’s not been happy for months.”  
After reading the letter he wished he had listened to Fin.  
 _My dearest Olivia,_  
I am so deeply sorry for having missed your birthday. But not as sorry as I am for having missed every day with you for the last nine months. I miss waking up and seeing your sleepy smile, making you laugh until you are crying, holding you, the smell of you, I miss everything. The sound of your voice follows me every where, I hear it when I talk to the women here.   
When I help these women, I know that I made a worthy decision, that they deserve sacrifices. I just didn’t realise just how much I would be sacrificing. I didn’t allow myself to think about what this would do to us. I didn’t realise that missing you would create a void in me so large that I feel hollow.  
I am going to be coming back to the city in a couple of weeks for Christmas, I would love it if I could spend that time with you.  
I know the flowers are an unworthy substitute for an absent lover, but I hope you like them, I also understand that this letter is a very poor substitute for the lack of contact that we have had since I left, but I have to try and fix this. I didn’t think this job would break us.  
If you don’t want to see me, or you have moved on, then I understand.  
Your Alex

He put the letter back and just prayed that Olivia didn’t find out that he had read it.

 

**Overkill**

It had been a lube less arse fuck of a day for the detectives of Manhattan’s SVU, long, fruitless and traumatic. They had spent far too long in each other’s company, but they weren’t fit for anyone else’s either. They had descended on Liv’s apartment with pizza and beer in tow, just hoping to decompress privately, so they could speak freely and vent about the injustices they had seen that day.  
As soon as Olivia opened her front door a powerful floral scent drifted into the corridor, answering the querying looks Olivia said, “It’s Alex, she keeps sending me flowers. She forgot my birthday a couple of weeks ago, and now she won’t stop sending me flowers. It’s getting ridiculous. I told her it was okay, it’s not like we’re dating anymore.”  
Elliott was quiet at that news, he knew Alex’s departure to the Congo had been a surprise for Liv, but he didn’t know that it had ended the relationship completely, the two women seemed like they were destined to always find their way back to each other, but they were both so fiercely independent and stubborn that they made life more difficult for themselves.  
“Well at least you are saving money on air fresheners.” Elliott tried to lighten the mood, but not entirely successfully.  
“I am going to refuse the next delivery. I need to draw a line under the whole situation.”  
“Are you sure? You still love her though.”  
“Yes, but we’re on separate continents, El. I have no idea when, or even if, she is coming back. So much of my life has been spent waiting, I need to start living. And all the while I am hanging on to a relationship with a woman who is half the world away from me, it’s not going to happen.”  
“So tell her, don’t leave it to the florist.”  
“Oh you mean the way I heard she was leaving from a witness?”  
“Touché.”  
With nothing left to say they started on the cooling pizza and warming beer.


End file.
